Rebuild and recovery of a dead tank

[Rae C.]

You should dump in at least 1/4 cup of flake food a day, all at once, to watch the feeding frenzy!

What type of coral do fish who are not considered reef safe eat/destroy? Is it all, just sps, just softies, LPS? I've been admiring the flame coral too.

[jason2459]

LOL Rae I guess that's where they get the name for that food called coral frenzy. I'm going to have to stock up on a lot of flake food. I'm really glad Waterkeeper is here to give all this great advice. Much better then Paul B trying to shove that old hat UGF stuff down our throats.

I'm leaning toward attempting the flame angel. IF he ends up destroying the corals I end up getting I'll just have to find him a new home.

I'll be doing some tank mowing tomorrow I think. I'm not sure what that dark brown color stage was that the bryopsis went through but that's almost gone completely now and it's almost all turned a super light green color and lots of it is becoming white. I'll be pulling all the really light green to white stuff out. Don't need what ever nutrients it has accumulated to be put back into the tank. I'll pull out the diatom filter and and use it to suck up the stuff I pull off.

8:45pm Tests
Temp: 82.6
SG: 33
pH: 8.22
ORP: 164
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0

I also checked the Nitrate and Phosphate levels of the salt mixing water in the brute garbage can and the cheap gray little 5g bucket I have for ATO. Both came up as 0.

[Aquarist007]

lets not get carried away with the flake food. That can cause alot of problems with nitrates.
also you are better to feed small amounts more times a day then one large dose so it does get eaten.

For grazers like tangs and angels I suggest you use the pole feeder--a piece of pvc pipe with two elastics on it. You can fix the romaine lettuce, nori kelp what ever to it and it does break off in big chunks like the clipped food.

it is chancy putting more than two angels in the same tank. My coral beauty ripped apart a flame angel over night. My reef buddy, 2frosty4u, has had both the flame and coral beauty in his tank for a long time and they get along fine.

[jason2459]

I guess I should use those little emoticons more often...

Capn I saw those pics of the pvc pipe fish feeder you have and already have a piece ready to be cut down if needed. Great idea!

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by jason2459
I guess I should use those little emoticons more often...

Capn I saw those pics of the pvc pipe fish feeder you have and already have a piece ready to be cut down if needed. Great idea!

can't take the credit for the idea however, I not sure anymore who should get the credit so lets let the water keeper and Paul B argue over who invented it.
Like you posted above debates over what kind of clams to eat and rugf's are old news

[Paul B]

Much better then Paul B trying to shove that old hat UGF stuff down our throats.

Excuse me

Let me see my RUGF tank is 40 years old and Waterkeeper's DSB tank lasted, I think, since last tuesday.

But I must say most DSBs last much longer than that, at least a few years. Of course my amphipods are older than that but you can house your amphipods in a spare tank while you dump out the old DSB and make a new one.

I just want to live long enough to have my RUGF last 50 years.
I have 10 more years to go. If I keep eating all of these oysters and clams, I may not make it.

[WaterKeeper]

I just added another year yesterday. I think I would rather skip Aug 29 for the next few years.

You can blame Paul for inventing PVC pipe, I still use copper. Oh, wait a second, that is a feeder made from PVC pipe. Paul probably did that too with some leftovers after plumbing in a RUGF.

Actually, I think clams and oysters are good for you. It is that drawn butter that clogs the old arteries.

[Paul B]

Actually, I think clams and oysters are good for you. It is that drawn butter that clogs the old arteries.

Thats why I like to eat them right out of the sea, like M&Ms.

The shells are a little hard on my teeth though.

I am going boating today, maybe find some crabs.
Probably just be partying too much to notice anyway.

[jason2459]

Bunch of knuckle heads around here.

Pulled a bunch of GHA yesterday. Took several hours and there's still some left as I didn't get to picky about it. Probably could have gotten done faster but I was moving pretty slow yesterday with no sleep the night before and played around with the cleaner here and there. He's fun. Held a peice of flake food in my fingers and let him pick it out. He still tries to attack the Clowns when they swim by him. The blenny has gotten use to him and has actually let him do his cleaning duties. The blenny just lays on the rock and the shrimp just picks all over him. Doesn't last very long at all but has happened a few times. I tried to get a vid of it but they were done by the time I got the camera out. I must be doing something right as the shrimp has molted twice now since I got him. Plus the blue leg hermit is getting huge. Never seen a blue leg this big.

A lot of the algae has turned white or is turning white. I do have a small bit growing in the refug along with the macro back there but I'm not going to worry about that. It can grow back there all it wants. It's turning into a nice refug/denitrator and starving the main tank. Pods will have a field day back there. I did order a ozone test kit and should get it this week and test to see if there is any residual ozone getting into the refug or main tank.

Did a 10% water change but no testing besides SG. The vortex XL diatom filter worked great btw.

[Paul B]

I just bought a new 20' sceen net for wednesdays collecting.
I hope to get a lot of tropicals along with crabs of course.
Thats how I get my friends to come with me, I tell them we are going for crabs. The tropicals are just a by catch.

[jason2459]

Holy $%#$ that's a big net. When I was a kid I used to walk up and down the rocky shore lines ripping off stone crab claws to sell and chow down on.

[Paul B]

I went with 2 people from here last week with a 50' net. Don't forget you are dragging this thing through seaweed and it must weigh 500lbs when you get it to shore.

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by Paul B
I just bought a new 20' sceen net for wednesdays collecting.
I hope to get a lot of tropicals along with crabs of course.
Thats how I get my friends to come with me, I tell them we are going for crabs. The tropicals are just a by catch.

I really don't know how you do it--if I told my friends(if I had any) that I was going to a place where we might catch crabs I think they would pass.

[Paul B]

I really don't know how you do it--if I told my friends(if I had any) that I was going to a place where we might catch crabs I think they would pass.

Yes I guess so.

My problem is that I have too many friends
For some reason my wife and I were always in a big crowd from highschool and we all remained friends. Then of course everyone married which made the friend pool larger.
My wife works completely for gifts for friends kids weddings, showers babies anniversaries etc.
That is also the reason we have a big crowd on the boat.
And we tie a lot of boats together. We are one big happy family,
I am the only one with fish though.

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by Paul B
Yes I guess so.

My problem is that I have too many friends

I am the only one with fish though.

and probably the only one with the boat

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by jason2459
Bunch of knuckle heads around here.

Pulled a bunch of GHA yesterday. Took several hours and there's still some left as I didn't get to picky about it. Probably could have gotten done faster but I was moving pretty slow yesterday with no sleep the night before and played around with the cleaner here and there. He's fun. Held a peice of flake food in my fingers and let him pick it out. He still tries to attack the Clowns when they swim by him. The blenny has gotten use to him and has actually let him do his cleaning duties. The blenny just lays on the rock and the shrimp just picks all over him. Doesn't last very long at all but has happened a few times. I tried to get a vid of it but they were done by the time I got the camera out. I must be doing something right as the shrimp has molted twice now since I got him. Plus the blue leg hermit is getting huge. Never seen a blue leg this big.

A lot of the algae has turned white or is turning white. I do have a small bit growing in the refug along with the macro back there but I'm not going to worry about that. It can grow back there all it wants. It's turning into a nice refug/denitrator and starving the main tank. Pods will have a field day back there. I did order a ozone test kit and should get it this week and test to see if there is any residual ozone getting into the refug or main tank.

Did a 10% water change but no testing besides SG. The vortex XL diatom filter worked great btw.

was it bigger then this one:

[jason2459]

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
was it bigger then this one:
.....

LOL no. But has to be the max size a blue leg could possibly get. He's grown since the last t ime I took a picture of him just last week. He certainly has had enough algae to feed on. I do miss having that giant crab. Man was he fun to watch and feed.

Now that I have some fish in the tank I just hooked up an in tank brine shrimp hatchery. Using a whisper 10 w/ a check valve hooked up to it and put in a small amount of eggs in it. I got it awhile ago but now I have something to eat the baby brine when they come out. It'll be interesting to see if it works. I'd take some pics but I got a sleeping baby(Finally!!) in my arms.

It's this one here.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...2&pcatid=10692

[Paul B]

and probably the only one with the boat

Actually, I have the smallest boat

[jason2459]

Got some more test kits in today: Magnesium, calcium, alk, and ozone.

When I get a chance I'm more curious to see what the mag, calc, and alk are in my newly mixed RC then what's in the tank. I did do a quick ozone check. Took the water right were the skimmer empties into the refugium which should be the worse spot.

O3: 0 w/ ozonizer @50%

That made me feel better. I'm getting an airborne ozone test coming soon as well.

The brine shrimp hatchery is working really well. I didn't think I'd see any baby brine for at least a few more hours. I can see a bunch of little baby brine swimming around the exit tube and slowly making their way into the tank where they end up getting swept away by the current. The clowns are having fun swimming around in the current and catching them.

[jason2459]

Oh yeah. I also got a 6" ceramic stone for the skimmer the other day. At full force from the whisper 60 is just way to much air for the skimmer to handle. I had to reduce the air flow but it is foaming like a mad and have no choice but a wet skim with this setup.

[jason2459]

WOOHOO!!! Just got off the phone with my LFG. He'll be going out of town to pick up some fish. I told him I was interested in picking up a Flame Angel and Royal Gramma. That should be good for fish for a while. I wasn't expecting any fish at all till the next few weeks. But I got the surprise from the wife with the blenny and then the deal of a life time from my LFG with the pair of clowns. Tests have been coming back all clear and the algae is starting to die off so I'm happy and think I should be good for another couple fish next week.

Then all I'll have left to get is the Kaudern's Cardinal and the Mandarin. I'll probably hold off on them for a while and concentrate on getting some corals.

[jason2459]

Took a picture of the brine shrimp hatchery earlier tonight.

You can see where the little shells are left behind on the bottom.
[IMG]http://i32.*******.com/34pbzpl.jpg[/IMG]

[jason2459]

Wow, this is absolutely crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I seriously had planned on NOT having any fish for close to two months when I started this tank just over a month ago now. Fish keep landing in my lap that I just can not pass up. Like already mentioned was the blenny and then the pair of clowns (of which I only planned on having one of). Already have the LFG getting me a Flame Angel and a Royal Gramma next week which would be about on schedule for when I first planned to get some fish. I was going to stop there and not get any more fish for many months. I now have the opportunity to get a mated pair of the Kaudern's Cardinal this weekend of which I again only planed on getting one of. I'm excited about this opportunity but now scared that I'm rushing things to fast.

This would definitely put my bioload above where I planned to have it especially when I end up getting a Mandarin way down the road (I WILL be patient with that one no matter what opportunity may come up.) I think I may upgrade my skimmer now. I have been happy with frankenskimmer and was confident in it's ability with the bioload I was going to have when first planned out. The skimmer is going to be my main means of nutrient export as I reduce the amount of water changes I will be doing. So, now that I'm going to be above my bioload limit I planned for I think I now need an upgrade.

Something that's more for a 100g tank instead of the SS65 I have now. Still require HOB and will use the overflow bucket. I want a small footprint on the back of the tank as the HOB refug takes up a good amount of realestate. I would like to still feed the refuge with the skimmer too. Would like to get back to a venturi/meshwheel instead of using air stones but that's not a huge deal. Also, need it to not be really noisy as it is in my living room/main room of our cracker box sized home. I'll be looking around at different models and used deals.

[jason2459]

Well, it's the sister-in-laws turn to visit us. She's the one I got the tank from something like two years ago. I always feel bad talking about the tank with her because I know she misses it but she still isn't in a situation she could have a tank. I talked to my wife about getting her one of those all in one nano tanks for Christmas but the wife said her sister would love it but just couldn't put it where she lives or have the time to take care of it.

She did bring me a little present.
[IMG]http://i28.*******.com/29xhd3c.jpg[/IMG]

I can't believe how fortunate I've been in getting all this live stock so far either free to super cheap. She felt bad for me for loosing everything in the flood and thought she could help restock it. That was super nice. I guess she talked to the wife about things I was wanting for the tank. I'm just super glad it wasn't a fish. I love inverts so this was awesome. He's already disappeared in the rock work somewhere.

In another thread I found out what all these little round white spots are all over the rocks and shells I have in my tank.

[IMG]http://i28.*******.com/r22ion.jpg[/IMG]

I guess they're Nirite eggs and my nirites can't keep their hands of each other.

As for the GHA, I think it's about done. Since last weekend when I mowed the grass in the tank it really hasn't grown back at all and the stuff that was left is withering away.

[IMG]http://i32.*******.com/wjdgqs.jpg[/IMG]

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by jason2459
Wow, this is absolutely crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I seriously had planned on NOT having any fish for close to two months when I started this tank just over a month ago now. Fish keep landing in my lap that I just can not pass up. Like already mentioned was the blenny and then the pair of clowns (of which I only planned on having one of). Already have the LFG getting me a Flame Angel and a Royal Gramma next week which would be about on schedule for when I first planned to get some fish. I was going to stop there and not get any more fish for many months. I now have the opportunity to get a mated pair of the Kaudern's Cardinal this weekend of which I again only planed on getting one of. I'm excited about this opportunity but now scared that I'm rushing things to fast.

This would definitely put my bioload above where I planned to have it especially when I end up getting a Mandarin way down the road (I WILL be patient with that one no matter what opportunity may come up.) I think I may upgrade my skimmer now. I have been happy with frankenskimmer and was confident in it's ability with the bioload I was going to have when first planned out. The skimmer is going to be my main means of nutrient export as I reduce the amount of water changes I will be doing. So, now that I'm going to be above my bioload limit I planned for I think I now need an upgrade.

Something that's more for a 100g tank instead of the SS65 I have now. Still require HOB and will use the overflow bucket. I want a small footprint on the back of the tank as the HOB refug takes up a good amount of realestate. I would like to still feed the refuge with the skimmer too. Would like to get back to a venturi/meshwheel instead of using air stones but that's not a huge deal. Also, need it to not be really noisy as it is in my living room/main room of our cracker box sized home. I'll be looking around at different models and used deals.

Jason, get a hold of some Seachem Stablilizer--its like bacteria in a bottle. It will really help with the increased bioload until the reef rock cycles more.